Cooking seasonally keeps things exciting; New produce to utilize and different flavors to play with. It gives the changing atmosphere much more purpose in my eyes, as every cold snap means another day to make a big pot of soup, and the fierce winds have me turning towards hot chocolate and chai. The downside, of course, is the need to let go of those beloved warm-weather dishes that were like close friends only a few short weeks ago. For some people, this means that the ice cream maker will be evicted from its spot in the freezer for another half year, sentenced to defrost in the darkness of a kitchen cabinet.

Well, if you ask me, that sort of behavior is just plain crazy, as I’m a firm believer in year-round ice cream enjoyment! Besides, if you put away that machine now, you’ll miss out on some of the best flavors that this season has to offer: Eggnog, candy cane, gingerbread, pumpkin spice…Put on a sweater and crank up the heat, because there’s no way the ice cream will stop churning out of my kitchen!